


Perfect Fit

by Mayalaen



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Anal Fingering, Aromantic, Aromantic Castiel, Aromantic Dean, Asexual Castiel, Asexual Character, Asexual Dean, Asexuality, BDSM, Bondage, Cock & Ball Torture, Edgeplay, Fingerfucking, Grey-Asexual Dean, Hand Jobs, Kissing, Licking, M/M, Nipple Clamps, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Paddling, Painplay, Prostate Massage, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, Spanking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-26
Updated: 2016-03-26
Packaged: 2018-05-29 04:56:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6360256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mayalaen/pseuds/Mayalaen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean comes in for his appointment with Castiel, his dom-for-hire, and they have an intense session.</p><p>There are two versions of this fic. Read the notes for more info.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Aromantic Version

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Endellion](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Endellion/gifts).



> This is a gift for Endellion. Happy birthday!
> 
> Also, if anyone is interested, there's an asexual version (because sometimes I get things mixed up so I wrote two versions). The asexual version is chapter two.

Castiel finished his preparations, the last of the toys set out he might need and everything thoroughly wiped down even though he and the other doms cleaned up after each session anyway.

Dean was scheduled for seven o'clock, and there were a few new things Cas wanted to try on him. Things he wasn't sure Dean would like, but that was the great thing about Dean. The man let him try new things and experiment, yet if he didn't like something, Dean would let him know.

He wasn't supposed to play favorites, but Cas did. Dean was his favorite client. They worked well together, and even after two years of playdates, it never seemed boring or repetitive. 

Cas never offered to see Dean outside of the shop. It wasn't forbidden to date clients as long as it was made clear they were no longer considered clients once that happened. But Cas didn't think Dean would be receptive to it. Dean would flirt and seemed to really enjoy their playdates, but that was as far as Dean went. Any testing of the waters Cas did was met with a change in subject or a quick glance at the clock by Dean, and Cas got the message loud and clear.

His boots squeaked a little on the industrial flooring and he patted himself down, making sure that nothing he was wearing would injure Dean if he brushed up against him. It was habit, and even though he was wearing black jeans with no belt and a gray T-shirt, he still checked. Dean preferred him in plain clothes, and Cas enjoyed the relaxed feeling it gave their sessions.

The last thing he checked was that the small fridge in the corner was stocked with water, fruit juice, pre-packaged cheese, and a few meal replacement drinks. Next to that was a cupboard with some hard candy and a box of energy bars in various flavors.

"Hey, Cas," Dean said from the doorway, giving Cas a smile as he walked in.

"Hello, Dean," Cas said, closing the cupboard and wrapping his arms around Dean.

Dean wasn't overly affectionate, but Cas insisted on more than just a hello before a session would start. A hug was a nice way of gauging how tense a person was and how open they were feeling. Dean was a little stiff, as he usually was before Cas worked the stress out of his body, but he also hadn't hesitated with the hug, which meant Dean wasn't closed off to what they were about to do.

"How are things going at the the office?" Cas asked.

It was a running joke between the two of them. Dean worked from home, living and working with his brother, Sam. The two of them had converted the garage into their workspace, and their business was doing very well. Dean liked to keep things in compartments, and he considered the rest of the house a home while the garage was 'the office.' It meant any disagreements between the brothers didn't interfere with work and work didn't interfere with home life.

"Good," Dean said, nodding. "Sam's trying to talk the bigwigs into paying us more for what we do."

"Which ones?" Cas asked.

"Right now he's working on the ATF, but we're hoping for bigger fish than that," Dean said, shrugging. "If the ATF gives us the good word and it looks like we're being paid a respectable amount, the feebs will take us seriously."

"So you're not doing any work for the forensics lab at the precinct anymore?" Cas asked.

"Yeah, we're still doing that," Dean said. "We're just branching out. We've got this new guy working with us. His name is Ash, and he's not only good but he's fast too. We're getting a lot more done, so Sam and I are looking for more to keep us busy."

Cas nodded as he started to unbutton Dean's flannel shirt. "And have you had any interesting cases recently?"

Dean smiled. "They're all interesting to me," he said, relaxing his stance and holding out his arms so Cas could push the shirt down his arms.

"Anything you'd like to share?" Cas asked as he unbuckled Dean's belt.

"One you might get a kick out of," Dean said. "There was a kid who modified a radio to pick up EMF, and when he took it to school, the school thought he was nuts. Thought he'd lost a few marbles because he was hunting for ghosts. They sent him to the school shrink, but shortly after that the school was vandalized and the kid got blamed for it."

"So what did they want you to do about it?" Cas asked as he pulled Dean's jeans and underwear down, crouching so he could unlace Dean's boots.

"They got the idea the kid used the EMF reader to shut down the school's security system," Dean said. "The alarms didn't go off that night, so they figured it had to be an inside job. The way the place had been trashed, they assumed it was the kid and that he was trying to prove there were ghosts."

"And was it him?" Cas asked as he pulled Dean's left boot off, Dean's hand on his head for balance.

"No, after we looked it over it really was an EMF reader," Dean said, chuckling. And the thing still worked as a radio. Just flip the switch and you can listen to some tunes after you've found your ghost."

Cas took Dean's right boot off, then stood up, helping Dean step out of his jeans and boxers. "Was he acquitted?"

"That _and_ they found out the kids who were bullying him did it to make him look bad," Dean said.

Cas ushered Dean over to the spanking bench in just his undershirt and socks. Dean never allowed Cas to take his socks off, and even though Cas found it odd, it wasn't difficult to work around it. The shirt had been left on because Cas liked the way it made a sub feel vulnerable. Ass and genitals exposed when other things were covered tended to do that.

Dean climbed onto the bench and settled in while Cas buckled the restraints around his wrists and ankles. The bench had been turned so that Dean was facing the door. It was something he only did for Dean because Dean had requested it back when they first started. If closing the door and letting Dean face it made him more comfortable and better able to relax, Cas didn't mind at all.

Cas ran his hand over Dean's thigh, up and over his ass, squeezing a bit as he went, then slid his hand up under Dean's shirt before scratching down Dean's back, making Dean hiss.

"The two of you did very good work," Cas said. "I'm very proud of you."

Dean subtly curled in on himself at that, tucking his face against the bench and hunching his back. It was something not many people would notice, but Cas knew Dean, and Dean had a hard time accepting praise. He loved and needed it, but it was hard to accept that praise.

"Are you and Sam getting along well?" Cas asked, changing the subject to something Dean _was_ comfortable with. He smoothed his hand over the scratches and enjoyed the warmth and the way Dean leaned into the comfort.

Dean sighed. "Sam and I are disagreeing on something lately. It's something we've fought about a fuckton of times, but he's fixated on it this time."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Cas said, frowning. Dean never did well when he and Sam were having problems. "If you want to talk about it, I'm here to listen."

Dean huffed out a laugh. "My brother is stubborn, and the more right he thinks he is, the more stubborn he is even if he's wrong. Now that we've got Ash in the office, he brought it up while we were working yesterday, and Ash agrees with him."

"Ah, so not only is it difficult because you're disagreeing about something," Cas said as he gently scraped his fingernails over Dean's scalp, "but you're feeling slighted by the fact that Sam broke the rules about keeping things separate."

"You got it," Dean said. "So now the both of them are trying to get me to agree with them. It's distracting and aggravating."

"I'm sure it is," Cas said as he walked over to the countertop and picked up a medium-sized flogger. The falls were soft faux suede.

Cas slowly walked around the bench, flicking his wrist over Dean's back and ass. The force of the blows wasn't even enough to turn Dean's skin pink, but the sensations had Dean squirming, just like Cas knew they would. He could see Dean's erection growing between his legs, and on the second circuit around Dean, he flicked the flogger between Dean's legs and caught his balls.

Dean flinched slightly, but didn't complain. Dean never complained. He loved every minute of what Cas did to him.

"Sam thinks I need to stop covering my mark," Dean said so softly Cas almost missed it.

Cas paused for a moment, startled that he'd never seen Dean's mark. He'd never thought about it before. Soulmate marks were something that he saw a lot of, what with his subs usually either mostly naked or completely undressed, but he'd never seen Dean's. He felt silly for having never noticed.

"The socks," Cas said when he figured it out.

Dean chuckled. "Yeah. I never take my socks off around anybody but Sam."

Cas flicked the flogger over the backs of Dean's legs, careful to avoid Dean's balls now that he was building up the force behind the blows.

"Why would you want to keep it covered?" Cas asked, and he worked hard and keeping his voice neutral. No judgment. 

Dean snorted. "I'm no catch," he said, a bit of pain in his voice.

Cas thought back on all the times Dean had used self-deprecating humor. He knew it had to be even worse outside the shop because the longer Dean was engaged in play, the less he talked negatively about himself, which meant at home Dean had to be worse.

"Why do you say that?" Cas asked as he pushed Dean's undershirt up, exposing his back to Cas' flogger.

"I'm not the type of guy somebody settles down with," Dean said. "I'm the one they like to have in their bed for the night and hope I'm gone in the morning."

Cas increased the force behind his blows, turning Dean's back a light shade of pink. "Do you really think that little of yourself?"

"No," Dean said, then chuckled again. "I know I'm a nice guy. I've got useful skills, I'm charming, and I'm great in bed."

Cas smiled and shook his head. "Then what's the problem?"

"I've never had a relationship last longer than two months," Dean said. "Everybody wants more of me. I don't really get it, but it's happened enough that I just decided to go with it."

"What do you mean by 'everybody wants more'?" Cas asked.

Dean's breathing was getting heavier as he processed the pain building in his back. "I don't know. It's like I don't fit in. Everybody else just seems to like all that mushy shit. You know, the whole rush of romance when you first meet someone and how you fall into a pattern of talking on the phone for hours or cuddling on the couch and whispering sweet nothings into each other's ears. I try, but it's just never enough, and I don't know what I'm doing wrong, but it's happened enough that I just accepted the inevitable."

It was all making sense, and Cas felt a heaviness in his chest. A sorrow for Dean. "And you hide your mark because you think you'll only hurt your soulmate if you find them."

Dean didn't answer, but his silence was enough. Cas set the flogger down and used the pump on the counter to squirt some lube onto his fingers. He slipped the handle of a Lexan paddle into his back pocket, then walked up behind Dean and pushed his lubed fingers between Dean's ass cheeks, a firm pressure on Dean's hole without breaching it.

"What if your soulmate feels the same way?" Cas asked gently as he ran his free hand over the pink areas on Dean's back, still keeping the pressure on Dean's hole with the fingers of his right hand.

"What if they don't?" Dean asked, his voice cracking a bit.

Cas pushed his fingers in and quickly found Dean's prostate. "What if they do?" he asked.

Dean tensed. "What, and we ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after?" he asked, then huffed out a laugh. "This isn't the movies, Cas."

Cas nodded even though Dean couldn't see him. "I know that. I also know that usually soulmates find a way to make it work even if it doesn't appear on the surface they're a good match."

"But what if I'm not supposed to be like this?" Dean asked. "What if...?"

Cas reached down and pulled on Dean's balls with his left hand, giving Dean something else to think about. Something besides the death of his parents years ago. The accident that changed Dean's young life forever and made him grow up all too fast. The accident that made him a father and mother to Sam at only eighteen years old.

"Count to ten slowly," Cas said, then squeezed Dean's balls and tapped on his prostate.

Dean counted, his voice becoming more strained until he finally gasped out the last number.

"Good boy," Cas said, gently massaging Dean's balls. "Now I want you to count to one hundred. Keep going no matter what I do to you."

"Yes, sir," Dean said, determination in his tone of voice.

Dean started to count and Cas began fingerfucking Dean roughly, jabbing into him with two fingers while using the paddle from his back pocket on Dean's outer thigh. He wasn't hitting Dean very hard, but he was bringing it down in the same spot over and over again. He hadn't asked Dean to count the strikes, just keep a timer going, of sorts.

By the time Dean had counted to twenty, he was squirming and hissing. Once he reached forty-five, he whimpered and arched his back, pressing his forehead into the padding of the bench.

"Fifty-one, fift-ah, fuck, Cas! Dude, it fuckin'," Dean growled. "Fuckin' move!"

"If you forget what number you're at, I'll make you start over again," Cas threatened.

"Fifty-fuckin'-two!" Dean yelled, hands balled into fists as he pulled on the restraints.

"I'm going to leave you with some beautiful bruises today," Cas said.

"Fifty-three, fifty-four, fifty-five, fifty-s-ah fuck!" Dean cried out.

"Slow it down," Cas warned.

"Just fuckin' move to another spot you asshole!" Dean growled.

Cas brought the paddle down harder, reminding Dean to watch his tone.

"Fuck! Sorry. Sorry," Dean panted, then started counting again.

"Sixty-five, si-Cas! Cas, please! Oh, fuck, sixty-six. Fuck," Dean hissed. "Cas, I can't. Fuckin' hurts, Cas. Sixty-six, ow, oh."

Dean had a safeword. He also had a word to use if he wanted to slow things down. He'd never used them, but Cas trusted that Dean would if he needed to.

"Seventy-three, ah, fuck," Dean whimpered, the emotion making his voice thick.

As Dean counted out seventy-four, Cas brought the paddle down hard on Dean's left ass cheek.

"Ah! Fuck! Oh, fuck, Cas, what the fuck!?" Dean cried out, trying to push himself up off the bench, but he couldn't get very far with his wrists and ankles restrained.

Dean twisted on the bench, the burn from the paddle not going away all that quickly.

"Keep counting," Cas said, then brought the paddle down again when Dean made it to eighty-one.

Dean let out a sob, then panted through clenched teeth. "Eighty-two, eighty-three," he said, voice cracking. He sniffled as he continued.

Cas went back to lightly smacking Dean's outer thigh, smiling when Dean settled and his voice changed. It wasn't a huge change, but it was enough to let Cas know Dean was starting to fall into subspace. It usually took Dean a while, and it would take more than what Cas was doing, but they were getting closer.

"One hundred!" Dean blurted, then let out a whimper of relief when Cas pulled his fingers out and stopped smacking his thigh.

"Very good, Dean," Cas said as he set the paddle on the counter and used a paper towel to wipe his fingers clean. "You were very good for me. I'm proud of you."

Dean didn't respond, and Cas didn't expect him to. He was a little more receptive to praise, but it was never entirely easy to accept until he was completely taken down. And once a session was over and Dean was recovering with Cas, he'd accept anything Cas said.

Cas unbuckled the restraints at Dean's wrists and ankles, then helped Dean stand up slowly. Dean was a bit unsteady, but Cas had a hold of him and wouldn't let him fall as they made their way over to the massage table. He leaned Dean against it, then took Dean's chin, turning his head so Dean would look him in the eye.

"I'm going to take your shirt off," Cas said.

Dean chuckled. "You just want to get my shirt off so you can touch my stomach."

Cas smiled. "You're right," he said, brushing his fingers over said tummy.

Dean had been a little self-conscious of the un-toned part of his body the first few times they'd played, but after just a few sessions Cas had Dean easily baring his belly and even enjoying the light kisses, pinches, and caressing of his soft flesh.

Cas pulled the shirt over Dean's head and tossed it over by the rest of Dean's clothing, then helped Dean onto the table. "Lie down. I'm not going to restrain you. You're going to stay in position for me like the good boy I know you are."

Dean stretched out, automatically spreading his legs and resting his forearms above his head on the padded table, completely open to anything Cas wanted to do.

Cas pumped more lube onto his hand, then walked to Dean's right side and started to stroke Dean's cock with his lubed hand. Dean groaned, closing his eyes. Cas leaned down and kissed Dean's belly, smiling as Dean chuckled.

He reached under the massage table, where a cabinet with multiple drawers full of smaller toys was. He pulled open a drawer and grabbed a handful of steel clamps. The clamps were autoclaved in between clients, then dumped into the drawer.

Cas set the clamps down on the table by Dean's right hip, then ran the tip over Dean's left nipple, waiting until the nipple hardened before attaching the clamp.

Dean moaned, and it was probably a combination of the stimulation to his cock and the clamp because Dean loved having his nipples played with.

"Keep going that fast and I'm gonna come," Dean said, grinning up at Cas.

"You don't get to come unless I say so," Cas said, stroking Dean faster.

"Really?" Dean asked. "You think you can stop me?"

"I _know_ I can stop you," Cas said, "but you're going to control yourself because I said so, not because I'm forcing you to. You're going to be a good boy for me."

Dean grimaced as Cas' grip tightened around his cock. "I don't know how much control you think I have, but seriously, if you-ah, Cas, fuck," he said, frowning as he tried to hold it back.

"You can do it," Cas said confidently. "You're always quick to boast about your skills in the bedroom, and I'm assuming that includes your stamina. Whatever you do to keep yourself under control, do it now."

Dean squeezed his eyes shut. "I stop fucking whoever I'm fucking and eat them out for a while. Can I eat you out for a while?" he asked, only half joking.

"No," Cas said, watching carefully as Dean's balls pulled up closer to his body. Dean was close, and because Dean loved pain, he knew flicking the clamp on Dean's nipple would send him over the edge, so instead he licked Dean's belly.

"Cas, you fucker," Dean said, laughing and squirming. He let out a sigh of relief as Cas stopped stroking him.

Cas kissed and licked his way over Dean's tummy, mouthing at it while he played with Dean's right nipple, getting it ready for a clamp as he massaged Dean's balls with his right hand.

Licking and kissing wasn't something the shop allowed, but Dean made exceptions when it came to Dean, and there were no cameras around anyway. Dean most likely thought all the doms and dommes kissed and licked their clients.

"Mmm, yeah," Dean moaned as Cas attached a clamp to the other nipple.

Cas wiped the excess lube off on Dean's thigh, then pinched Dean's skin just below his sternum in the middle, then attached another clamp.

"Hey, I thought you _liked_ my stomach," Dean said, eyeing the clamps as Cas made a row of them down the middle until the last one pinched just above the base of Dean's cock.

"I do," Cas said. "That's why I'm going to give it a lot of attention."

Dean gasped as Cas flicked the clamp closest to his belly button. He moved it back and forth, twisted a bit, then started on the next one while he began stroking Dean's cock again.

He brought Dean close to the edge again, then backed off, leaving Dean growling and squirming. He ran his fingers over the clamps, enjoying the way Dean twisted on the table as the clamps made his skin more and more sensitive.

Cas edged Dean another five times before he pulled the first clamp off. It was the one closest to his cock, and Dean winced, then cried out when Cas rubbed his thumb over the reddened skin.

"Ah, fuck," Dean said through clenched teeth as Cas smacked the line of clamps back and forth, then pulled a second clamp.

Cas leaned down and licked between the clamps on Dean's belly, stroking Dean until Dean's back arched off the table. Dean was covered in a light sheen of sweat, and even though Cas had been playing with him a while, Dean hadn't broken position.

"You're being very good, Dean," Cas said, then pulled another clamp off.

"Fuck, you're not gonna let me come yet," Dean whined. "Don't I get a prize for staying still for you?"

Cas chuckled. "You're getting my attention and my appreciation."

"Are you ever gonna let me come?" Dean asked, hips coming up off the table as he tried to fuck Cas' hand.

"Well, of course you'll get to come eventually," Cas said, then let go of Dean's cock. "Unless you decide to stop coming here to see me."

Dean growled, pounding his left fist down on the table. "Dude, I was so fucking close! Wait, I don't get to come this time? You're gonna tease me and make me leave here hard?"

Cas chuckled. "I might let you come today."

"Fuckin' asshole," Dean said, and Cas could hear the affection in his voice.

"It's not a good idea to talk about me like that," Cas said, flicking the clamp on Dean's left nipple. "I'm the one who decides whether you come or not."

Just as Dean opened his mouth to respond, Cas pulled the clamp off Dean's nipple, then pinched and twisted the skin.

"Fuck!" Dean yelled, grabbing onto the sides of the table while he pulled his knees up, planting his feet on the table. The socks provided no traction, so his legs flopped back down to the table.

"Please let me come," Dean said, giving Cas his most charming smile. "Please! Please, Cas!"

"Begging won't help you," Cas said, shrugging.

"I'm sorry I called you a fuckin' asshole," Dean said. "Is that what you wanted? An apology?"

"No," Cas said, "but it is nice of you to do so."

"Fuck, Cas, what do you want?" Dean asked.

"I want to play with you," Cas said, stroking Dean's cock again.

Dean chuckled, body relaxing against the table. "You're so fuckin' sadistic."

"That's what you like about me," Cas said, flicking the clamps on Dean's belly and just below his sternum. 

"Yup," Dean said. "That was a compliment, by the way."

Cas smiled, then pulled another clamp off. Dean whined and flinched as Cas played with the sore spot on his belly, licking into the divots. He sucked on the skin, Dean's belly quivering beneath him.

When he straightened, Dean's eyes were a little more glassy than before, so Cas made his decision and started stroking Dean faster.

"You may come this time," Cas said.

"Oh, fuck yeah!" Dean growled, spreading his legs and looking Cas in the eye.

Cas pulled off the rest of the clamps on Dean's belly and below his sternum, then slapped the skin, making Dean twist and yell.

"One more left," Cas said, flicking the clamp on Dean's right nipple. 

Dean whined, squeezing his eyes shut and fucking up into Cas' hand. Cas allowed it. He pulled on the clamp, then yanked it off before pushing down on the skin with his thumb, grinding it around.

"Fuck!" Dean screamed as he came, thrashing about on the table, nails digging into the padding.

Cas stroked him through it, then let go as Dean started to wince a bit. Dean panted, eyes closed as Cas ran his hand over Dean's belly and thighs and arms and chest. Dean needed grounding after a session, and close contact always helped.

"Dude," Dean drawled, voice cracking.

Cas chuckled, making his way around the table and running his hands all over Dean. Just as he was about to grab a towel to clean Dean up, he caught sight of Dean's feet. Dean's right sock had been kicked off and the left one was halfway down his foot. Cas stared, eyes going wide as he focused on Dean's right ankle.

His head felt like it was going to spin right off, and yet something deep inside him said yes, this was it. This was right. He'd never seen the symbol this way. It had always been mirrored. That didn't stop him from recognizing it.

The fine lines and they way they curved so elegantly. The feathery edges at the bottom. The fading off to the left. He knew every single twist and turn in it.

Cas shook himself out of it and picked the sock up off the floor, slipping it back on Dean's foot, then fixing the other sock. Dean sat up, quiet and very still once he was up, hands braced on the edges of the table. He didn't look at Cas, but Cas could see the tension in his shoulders.

Instead of pushing, Cas walked over to the cupboards on the far wall and took out a washcloth, then wet it at the sink before going back to Dean and wiping him down.

"Sorry, Cas," Dean whispered.

"Sorry about what?" Cas asked.

"Sorry I couldn't stay away," Dean said.

Cas used a finger to lift Dean's chin, and the pain in Dean's eyes made his chest ache. "What do you mean?"

Dean sighed. "I saw it. The mark on your lower back. I saw it back before we officially met. You were in that coffee shop down on third street and you dropped your lid, leaned over to pick it up, and I saw it on your lower back."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Cas asked.

Dean huffed out a laugh, rolling his eyes. "I'm not what you need. I'm only going to hurt you. I'll never be enough for you. So I walked away."

"I'm going to ignore the first part for now in favor of finding out how we got here," Cas said. "You looked for me or just happened to sign up to for sessions here?"

"I tried to stay away. I really did," Dean said, shaking his head. "I just couldn't. So I kept going back to the coffee shop until I saw you again. You were on your way here, so I followed you. I asked the girl at the front desk who worked here, she told me and showed me the portfolios of everybody here. I saw your picture, so I booked my first appointment with you."

"You only had sessions here because of me?" Cas asked, something in his stomach twisting at the thought of Dean submitting to something he didn't really want to do.

"No, I mean yes," Dean said, then winced. "No, I hadn't been here before, but this definitely wasn't a hardship or something I've never done before. I've really enjoyed it, Cas. Really."

Cas nodded. "Okay," he said, the worry in his gut receding.

"I was just going to come for one sessions," Dean said, then chuckled, "but I couldn't stop myself. I kept coming back. I wanted to be around you. And you're really good at what you do, so that was fun."

"Were you ever going to tell me?" Cas asked.

"I don't know," Dean said, shrugging. "A part of me wants to say yes, but it's been two years and I'm still wearing socks to every appointment."

Cas nodded. "Okay, now I want to address what I said I'd ignore."

"No, I don't want to do this," Dean said, swinging his legs over the edge of the table and standing up. Dean started to go down, but Cas was there, holding him up and lifting him back onto the table.

"You're not done," Cas said. "I'm not letting you leave yet because you're still in recovery."

"Yes, sir," Dean said, head dropping down, avoiding Cas' gaze.

"I know you're not open to hearing it right now, but you're still under my care because you're in recovery," Cas said. "So after you have some water and a hard candy, we're going to get you dressed and I'm going to take you home."

"Okay," Dean said, nodding.

"And on the way home we're going to discuss the fact that soulmates are soulmates for a reason," Cas said, "and that you and I are a little more similar than you've let yourself see."

Dean lifted his head and scowled at Cas. "Don't fuck with me. That rush you got when you saw we're soulmates, it's going to fade. It always does when people realize what being with me is really like."

"You mean the same rush I didn't get because I identify as aromantic?" Cas asked, smirking.

Dean frowned at him. "What the fuck does that mean?"

"It's a romantic orientation," Cas said. "A, as in the variant of an. As in not or without. Aromantic. Not romantic."

"That's a thing?" Dean asked, nose scrunching up.

"That's a thing," Cas said, nodding. "It's one of the reasons I'm really good at my job. No chance of a romantic attachment. Although I'd like you to keep it to yourself that I've kissed you. It's kinda frowned upon here."

Dean huffed out a laugh. "You're breaking rules for me?"

"I have a feeling you're worth it," Cas said.

"So any past relationships you've had, they...?" Dean said, trailing off.

"I haven't found many people who enjoy a lack of romance in a relationship," Cas said. "Perhaps this means you're my match. Soulmate, if you will."

Dean winced. "You're not just saying this so I'll feel better?"

"Why don't you allow me to court you and find out?" Cas asked, shrugging. "We'll start by having wings and beer at that strip club down the street."

Dean blinked at him for a moment, then chuckled. "There's a part of me that thinks you're just pulling my leg, but I don't think I want to risk it, so yeah, buy me a beer and a basket of wings."

"Not now," Cas said. "We'll go tomorrow night after I'm done with my last appointment."

Dean frowned. "Why not now?"

Cas backed away, then dropped the washcloth in a bin before taking out a wipe and starting to clean the countertop.

"Yeah, yeah," Dean said as he slowly slid off the table, "you're the dom and I'm in recovery and I do as you say until your job is done."

"Good boy," Cas said as he set the paddle in a separate bin for cleaning.

"Hey, can I see it again?" Dean asked.

Cas turned around to find a blushing Dean. Cas nodded, then turned his back to Dean and lifted his shirt. Cas smiled as he felt Dean lowering his jeans a bit, then a finger traced the design on his lower back. Just before Dean pulled away, Cas felt a kiss placed on the mark.

"I'm not buying flowers for our date," Dean said.

Cas smiled, his back still turned to Dean as he wiped down the massage table. "Good. I don't want them."

"And there will be _no_ cuddling," Dean said as he pulled his clothes on.

"Yes, you've certainly displayed your aversion to cuddling during our previous sessions when you recovered on the couch with me," Cas teased.

"That wasn't cuddling," Dean said. "That was me reassuring you I was fine after a session. It looked like you needed it."

"Thank you, Dean," Cas said, keeping his face turned away from Dean so Dean wouldn't see the smile.

end.


	2. The Asexual Version

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the asexual version of the fic in chapter one. I mixed things up in my head and ended up writing two versions, so you can read whichever one floats your boat.

Castiel finished his preparations, the last of the toys set out he might need and everything thoroughly wiped down even though he and the other doms cleaned up after each session anyway.

Dean was scheduled for seven o'clock, and there were a few new things Cas wanted to try on him. Things he wasn't sure Dean would like, but that was the great thing about Dean. The man let him try new things and experiment, yet if he didn't like something, Dean would let him know.

He wasn't supposed to play favorites, but Cas did. Dean was his favorite client. They worked well together, and even after two years of playdates, it never seemed boring or repetitive. 

Cas never offered to see Dean outside of the shop. It wasn't forbidden to date clients as long as it was made clear they were no longer considered clients once that happened. But Cas didn't think Dean would be receptive to it. Dean would flirt and seemed to really enjoy their playdates, but that was as far as Dean went. Any testing of the waters Cas did was met with a change in subject or a quick glance at the clock by Dean, and Cas got the message loud and clear.

His boots squeaked a little on the industrial flooring and he patted himself down, making sure that nothing he was wearing would injure Dean if he brushed up against him. It was habit, and even though he was wearing black jeans with no belt and a gray T-shirt, he still checked. Dean preferred him in plain clothes, and Cas enjoyed the relaxed feeling it gave their sessions.

The last thing he checked was that the small fridge in the corner was stocked with water, fruit juice, pre-packaged cheese, and a few meal replacement drinks. Next to that was a cupboard with some hard candy and a box of energy bars in various flavors.

"Hey, Cas," Dean said from the doorway, giving Cas a smile as he walked in.

"Hello, Dean," Cas said, closing the cupboard and wrapping his arms around Dean.

Dean wasn't overly affectionate, but Cas insisted on more than just a hello before a session would start. A hug was a nice way of gauging how tense a person was and how open they were feeling. Dean was a little stiff, as he usually was before Cas worked the stress out of his body, but he also hadn't hesitated with the hug, which meant Dean wasn't closed off to what they were about to do.

"How are things going at the the office?" Cas asked.

It was a running joke between the two of them. Dean worked from home, living and working with his brother, Sam. The two of them had converted the garage into their workspace, and their business was doing very well. Dean liked to keep things in compartments, and he considered the rest of the house a home while the garage was 'the office.' It meant any disagreements between the brothers didn't interfere with work and work didn't interfere with home life.

"Good," Dean said, nodding. "Sam's trying to talk the bigwigs into paying us more for what we do."

"Which ones?" Cas asked.

"Right now he's working on the ATF, but we're hoping for bigger fish than that," Dean said, shrugging. "If the ATF gives us the good word and it looks like we're being paid a respectable amount, the feebs will take us seriously."

"So you're not doing any work for the forensics lab at the precinct anymore?" Cas asked.

"Yeah, we're still doing that," Dean said. "We're just branching out. We've got this new guy working with us. His name is Ash, and he's not only good but he's fast too. We're getting a lot more done, so Sam and I are looking for more to keep us busy."

Cas nodded as he started to unbutton Dean's flannel shirt. "And have you had any interesting cases recently?"

Dean smiled. "They're all interesting to me," he said, relaxing his stance and holding out his arms so Cas could push the shirt down his arms.

"Anything you'd like to share?" Cas asked as he unbuckled Dean's belt.

"One you might get a kick out of," Dean said. "There was a kid who modified a radio to pick up EMF, and when he took it to school, the school thought he was nuts. Thought he'd lost a few marbles because he was hunting for ghosts. They sent him to the school shrink, but shortly after that the school was vandalized and the kid got blamed for it."

"So what did they want you to do about it?" Cas asked as he pulled Dean's jeans and underwear down, crouching so he could unlace Dean's boots.

"They got the idea the kid used the EMF reader to shut down the school's security system," Dean said. "The alarms didn't go off that night, so they figured it had to be an inside job. The way the place had been trashed, they assumed it was the kid and that he was trying to prove there were ghosts."

"And was it him?" Cas asked as he pulled Dean's left boot off, Dean's hand on his head for balance.

"No, after we looked it over it really was an EMF reader," Dean said, chuckling. And the thing still worked as a radio. Just flip the switch and you can listen to some tunes after you've found your ghost."

Cas took Dean's right boot off, then stood up, helping Dean step out of his jeans and boxers. "Was he acquitted?"

"That _and_ they found out the kids who were bullying him did it to make him look bad," Dean said.

Cas ushered Dean over to the spanking bench in just his undershirt and socks. Dean never allowed Cas to take his socks off, and even though Cas found it odd, it wasn't difficult to work around it. The shirt had been left on because Cas liked the way it made a sub feel vulnerable. Ass and genitals exposed when other things were covered tended to do that.

Dean climbed onto the bench and settled in while Cas buckled the restraints around his wrists and ankles. The bench had been turned so that Dean was facing the door. It was something he only did for Dean because Dean had requested it back when they first started. If closing the door and letting Dean face it made him more comfortable and better able to relax, Cas didn't mind at all.

Cas ran his hand over Dean's thigh, up and over his ass, squeezing a bit as he went, then slid his hand up under Dean's shirt before scratching down Dean's back, making Dean hiss.

"The two of you did very good work," Cas said. "I'm very proud of you."

Dean subtly curled in on himself at that, tucking his face against the bench and hunching his back. It was something not many people would notice, but Cas knew Dean, and Dean had a hard time accepting praise. He loved and needed it, but it was hard to accept that praise.

"Are you and Sam getting along well?" Cas asked, changing the subject to something Dean _was_ comfortable with. He smoothed his hand over the scratches and enjoyed the warmth and the way Dean leaned into the comfort.

Dean sighed. "Sam and I are disagreeing on something lately. It's something we've fought about a fuckton of times, but he's fixated on it this time."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Cas said, frowning. Dean never did well when he and Sam were having problems. "If you want to talk about it, I'm here to listen."

Dean huffed out a laugh. "My brother is stubborn, and the more right he thinks he is, the more stubborn he is even if he's wrong. Now that we've got Ash in the office, he brought it up while we were working yesterday, and Ash agrees with him."

"Ah, so not only is it difficult because you're disagreeing about something," Cas said as he gently scraped his fingernails over Dean's scalp, "but you're feeling slighted by the fact that Sam broke the rules about keeping things separate."

"You got it," Dean said. "So now the both of them are trying to get me to agree with them. It's distracting and aggravating."

"I'm sure it is," Cas said as he walked over to the countertop and picked up a medium-sized flogger. The falls were soft faux suede.

Cas slowly walked around the bench, flicking his wrist over Dean's back and ass. The force of the blows wasn't even enough to turn Dean's skin pink, but the sensations had Dean squirming, just like Cas knew they would. He could see Dean's erection growing between his legs, and on the second circuit around Dean, he flicked the flogger between Dean's legs and caught his balls.

Dean flinched slightly, but didn't complain. Dean never complained. He loved every minute of what Cas did to him.

"Sam thinks I need to stop covering my mark," Dean said so softly Cas almost missed it.

Cas paused for a moment, startled that he'd never seen Dean's mark. He'd never thought about it before. Soulmate marks were something that he saw a lot of, what with his subs usually either mostly naked or completely undressed, but he'd never seen Dean's. He felt silly for having never noticed.

"The socks," Cas said when he figured it out.

Dean chuckled. "Yeah. I never take my socks off around anybody but Sam."

Cas flicked the flogger over the backs of Dean's legs, careful to avoid Dean's balls now that he was building up the force behind the blows.

"Why would you want to keep it covered?" Cas asked, and he worked hard and keeping his voice neutral. No judgment. 

Dean snorted. "I'm no catch," he said, a bit of pain in his voice.

Cas thought back on all the times Dean had used self-deprecating humor. He knew it had to be even worse outside the shop because the longer Dean was engaged in play, the less he talked negatively about himself, which meant at home Dean had to be worse.

"Why do you say that?" Cas asked as he pushed Dean's undershirt up, exposing his back to Cas' flogger.

"I'm not the type of guy somebody settles down with," Dean said. "I'm the one they like to have in their bed for the night and hope I'm gone in the morning."

Cas increased the force behind his blows, turning Dean's back a light shade of pink. "Do you really think that little of yourself?"

"No," Dean said, then chuckled again. "I know I'm a nice guy. I've got useful skills, I'm charming, and I'm great in bed."

Cas smiled and shook his head. "Then what's the problem?"

"I've never had a relationship last longer than two months," Dean said. "Everybody wants more of me, and it's happened enough that I just decided to go with it."

"What do you mean by 'everybody wants more'?" Cas asked.

Dean's breathing was getting heavier as he processed the pain building in his back. "I just don't really fit in."

Cas cocked his head to the side. "How's that?"

Dean gasped as Cas brought the flogger down harder. "I don't really like sex. I mean, don't get me wrong, I like being with somebody and I like making them feel good. I love all the noises somebody makes when I'm doing a really good job of eating them out or using my fingers on them. And I don't really mind fucking somebody sometimes, but I don't enjoy the fucking like most people seem to. And I really don't like getting fucked. I tried it and just don't like it."

"Do you enjoy having orgasms yourself?" Cas asked, worrying that he'd been helping Dean achieve orgasms almost every session for the last two years when possibly the man didn't even like it.

"Yeah, it's okay," Dean said. "I like it when you do it. It's different when there's BDSM involved, and as you've seen, I get off really hard on pain."

Cas smiled. "Yes, you do come the hardest when I'm hurting you."

"Yeah, you're good at that," Dean said, and Cas could hear the smile.

Cas sobered, the smile dying away as it all started clicking in his head. It all made sense, and Cas felt a heaviness in his chest. A sorrow for Dean. "And you hide your mark because you think a soulmate will want sex, and they'll either be stuck with you leave you even though you're soulmates."

Dean didn't answer, but his silence was enough. Cas set the flogger down and used the pump on the counter to squirt some lube onto his fingers. He slipped the handle of a Lexan paddle into his back pocket, then walked up behind Dean and pushed his lubed fingers between Dean's ass cheeks, a firm pressure on Dean's hole without breaching it.

"What if your soulmate feels the same way?" Cas asked gently as he ran his free hand over the pink areas on Dean's back, still keeping the pressure on Dean's hole with the fingers of his right hand.

"What if they don't?" Dean asked, his voice cracking a bit.

Cas pushed his fingers in and quickly found Dean's prostate. "What if they do?" he asked.

Dean tensed. "What, and we ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after?" he asked, then huffed out a laugh. "This isn't the movies, Cas."

Cas nodded even though Dean couldn't see him. "I know that. I also know that usually soulmates find a way to make it work even if it doesn't appear on the surface they're a good match."

"But what if I'm not supposed to be like this?" Dean asked. "What if...?"

Cas reached down and pulled on Dean's balls with his left hand, giving Dean something else to think about. Something besides the death of his parents years ago. The accident that changed Dean's young life forever and made him grow up all too fast. The accident that made him a father and mother to Sam at only eighteen years old.

"Count to ten slowly," Cas said, then squeezed Dean's balls and tapped on his prostate.

Dean counted, his voice becoming more strained until he finally gasped out the last number.

"Good boy," Cas said, gently massaging Dean's balls. "Now I want you to count to one hundred. Keep going no matter what I do to you."

"Yes, sir," Dean said, determination in his tone of voice.

Dean started to count and Cas began fingerfucking Dean roughly, jabbing into him with two fingers while using the paddle from his back pocket on Dean's outer thigh. He wasn't hitting Dean very hard, but he was bringing it down in the same spot over and over again. He hadn't asked Dean to count the strikes, just keep a timer going, of sorts.

By the time Dean had counted to twenty, he was squirming and hissing. Once he reached forty-five, he whimpered and arched his back, pressing his forehead into the padding of the bench.

"Fifty-one, fift-ah, fuck, Cas! Dude, it fuckin'," Dean growled. "Fuckin' move!"

"If you forget what number you're at, I'll make you start over again," Cas threatened.

"Fifty-fuckin'-two!" Dean yelled, hands balled into fists as he pulled on the restraints.

"I'm going to leave you with some beautiful bruises today," Cas said.

"Fifty-three, fifty-four, fifty-five, fifty-s-ah fuck!" Dean cried out.

"Slow it down," Cas warned.

"Just fuckin' move to another spot you asshole!" Dean growled.

Cas brought the paddle down harder, reminding Dean to watch his tone.

"Fuck! Sorry. Sorry," Dean panted, then started counting again.

"Sixty-five, si-Cas! Cas, please! Oh, fuck, sixty-six. Fuck," Dean hissed. "Cas, I can't. Fuckin' hurts, Cas. Sixty-six, ow, oh."

Dean had a safeword. He also had a word to use if he wanted to slow things down. He'd never used them, but Cas trusted that Dean would if he needed to.

"Seventy-three, ah, fuck," Dean whimpered, the emotion making his voice thick.

As Dean counted out seventy-four, Cas brought the paddle down hard on Dean's left ass cheek.

"Ah! Fuck! Oh, fuck, Cas, what the fuck!?" Dean cried out, trying to push himself up off the bench, but he couldn't get very far with his wrists and ankles restrained.

Dean twisted on the bench, the burn from the paddle not going away all that quickly.

"Keep counting," Cas said, then brought the paddle down again when Dean made it to eighty-one.

Dean let out a sob, then panted through clenched teeth. "Eighty-two, eighty-three," he said, voice cracking. He sniffled as he continued.

Cas went back to lightly smacking Dean's outer thigh, smiling when Dean settled and his voice changed. It wasn't a huge change, but it was enough to let Cas know Dean was starting to fall into subspace. It usually took Dean a while, and it would take more than what Cas was doing, but they were getting closer.

"One hundred!" Dean blurted, then let out a whimper of relief when Cas pulled his fingers out and stopped smacking his thigh.

"Very good, Dean," Cas said as he set the paddle on the counter and used a paper towel to wipe his fingers clean. "You were very good for me. I'm proud of you."

Dean didn't respond, and Cas didn't expect him to. He was a little more receptive to praise, but it was never entirely easy to accept until he was completely taken down. And once a session was over and Dean was recovering with Cas, he'd accept anything Cas said.

Cas unbuckled the restraints at Dean's wrists and ankles, then helped Dean stand up slowly. Dean was a bit unsteady, but Cas had a hold of him and wouldn't let him fall as they made their way over to the massage table. He leaned Dean against it, then took Dean's chin, turning his head so Dean would look him in the eye.

"I'm going to take your shirt off," Cas said.

Dean chuckled. "You just want to get my shirt off so you can touch my stomach."

Cas smiled. "You're right," he said, brushing his fingers over said tummy.

Dean had been a little self-conscious of the un-toned part of his body the first few times they'd played, but after just a few sessions Cas had Dean easily baring his belly and even enjoying the light kisses, pinches, and caressing of his soft flesh.

Cas pulled the shirt over Dean's head and tossed it over by the rest of Dean's clothing, then helped Dean onto the table. "Lie down. I'm not going to restrain you. You're going to stay in position for me like the good boy I know you are."

Dean stretched out, automatically spreading his legs and resting his forearms above his head on the padded table, completely open to anything Cas wanted to do.

Cas pumped more lube onto his hand, then walked to Dean's right side and started to stroke Dean's cock with his lubed hand. Dean groaned, closing his eyes. Cas leaned down and kissed Dean's belly, smiling as Dean chuckled.

He reached under the massage table, where a cabinet with multiple drawers full of smaller toys was. He pulled open a drawer and grabbed a handful of steel clamps. The clamps were autoclaved in between clients, then dumped into the drawer.

Cas set the clamps down on the table by Dean's right hip, then ran the tip over Dean's left nipple, waiting until the nipple hardened before attaching the clamp.

Dean moaned, and it was probably a combination of the stimulation to his cock and the clamp because Dean loved having his nipples played with.

"Keep going that fast and I'm gonna come," Dean said, grinning up at Cas.

"You don't get to come unless I say so," Cas said, stroking Dean faster.

"Really?" Dean asked. "You think you can stop me?"

"I _know_ I can stop you," Cas said, "but you're going to control yourself because I said so, not because I'm forcing you to. You're going to be a good boy for me."

Dean grimaced as Cas' grip tightened around his cock. "I don't know how much control you think I have, but seriously, if you-ah, Cas, fuck," he said, frowning as he tried to hold it back.

"You can do it," Cas said confidently. "You're always quick to boast about your skills in the bedroom, and I'm assuming that includes your stamina. Whatever you do to keep yourself under control, do it now."

Dean squeezed his eyes shut. "I'm not usually fucking them. I'm eating them out. Can I eat you out for a while?" he asked, only half joking.

"No," Cas said, watching carefully as Dean's balls pulled up closer to his body. Dean was close, and because Dean loved pain, he knew flicking the clamp on Dean's nipple would send him over the edge, so instead he licked Dean's belly.

"Cas, you fucker," Dean said, laughing and squirming. He let out a sigh of relief as Cas stopped stroking him.

Cas kissed and licked his way over Dean's tummy, mouthing at it while he played with Dean's right nipple, getting it ready for a clamp as he massaged Dean's balls with his right hand.

Licking and kissing wasn't something the shop allowed, but Dean made exceptions when it came to Dean, and there were no cameras around anyway. Dean most likely thought all the doms and dommes kissed and licked their clients.

"Mmm, yeah," Dean moaned as Cas attached a clamp to the other nipple.

Cas wiped the excess lube off on Dean's thigh, then pinched Dean's skin just below his sternum in the middle, then attached another clamp.

"Hey, I thought you _liked_ my stomach," Dean said, eyeing the clamps as Cas made a row of them down the middle until the last one pinched just above the base of Dean's cock.

"I do," Cas said. "That's why I'm going to give it a lot of attention."

Dean gasped as Cas flicked the clamp closest to his belly button. He moved it back and forth, twisted a bit, then started on the next one while he began stroking Dean's cock again.

He brought Dean close to the edge again, then backed off, leaving Dean growling and squirming. He ran his fingers over the clamps, enjoying the way Dean twisted on the table as the clamps made his skin more and more sensitive.

Cas edged Dean another five times before he pulled the first clamp off. It was the one closest to his cock, and Dean winced, then cried out when Cas rubbed his thumb over the reddened skin.

"Ah, fuck," Dean said through clenched teeth as Cas smacked the line of clamps back and forth, then pulled a second clamp.

Cas leaned down and licked between the clamps on Dean's belly, stroking Dean until Dean's back arched off the table. Dean was covered in a light sheen of sweat, and even though Cas had been playing with him a while, Dean hadn't broken position.

"You're being very good, Dean," Cas said, then pulled another clamp off.

"Fuck, you're not gonna let me come yet," Dean whined. "Don't I get a prize for staying still for you?"

Cas chuckled. "You're getting my attention and my appreciation."

"Are you ever gonna let me come?" Dean asked, hips coming up off the table as he tried to fuck Cas' hand.

"Well, of course you'll get to come eventually," Cas said, then let go of Dean's cock. "Unless you decide to stop coming here to see me."

Dean growled, pounding his left fist down on the table. "Dude, I was so fucking close! Wait, I don't get to come this time? You're gonna tease me and make me leave here hard?"

Cas chuckled. "I might let you come today."

"Fuckin' asshole," Dean said, and Cas could hear the affection in his voice.

"It's not a good idea to talk about me like that," Cas said, flicking the clamp on Dean's left nipple. "I'm the one who decides whether you come or not."

Just as Dean opened his mouth to respond, Cas pulled the clamp off Dean's nipple, then pinched and twisted the skin.

"Fuck!" Dean yelled, grabbing onto the sides of the table while he pulled his knees up, planting his feet on the table. The socks provided no traction, so his legs flopped back down to the table.

"Please let me come," Dean said, giving Cas his most charming smile. "Please! Please, Cas!"

"Begging won't help you," Cas said, shrugging.

"I'm sorry I called you a fuckin' asshole," Dean said. "Is that what you wanted? An apology?"

"No," Cas said, "but it is nice of you to do so."

"Fuck, Cas, what do you want?" Dean asked.

"I want to play with you," Cas said, stroking Dean's cock again.

Dean chuckled, body relaxing against the table. "You're so fuckin' sadistic."

"That's what you like about me," Cas said, flicking the clamps on Dean's belly and just below his sternum. 

"Yup," Dean said. "That was a compliment, by the way."

Cas smiled, then pulled another clamp off. Dean whined and flinched as Cas played with the sore spot on his belly, licking into the divots. He sucked on the skin, Dean's belly quivering beneath him.

When he straightened, Dean's eyes were a little more glassy than before, so Cas made his decision and started stroking Dean faster.

"You may come this time," Cas said.

"Oh, fuck yeah!" Dean growled, spreading his legs and looking Cas in the eye.

Cas pulled off the rest of the clamps on Dean's belly and below his sternum, then slapped the skin, making Dean twist and yell.

"One more left," Cas said, flicking the clamp on Dean's right nipple. 

Dean whined, squeezing his eyes shut and fucking up into Cas' hand. Cas allowed it. He pulled on the clamp, then yanked it off before pushing down on the skin with his thumb, grinding it around.

"Fuck!" Dean screamed as he came, thrashing about on the table, nails digging into the padding.

Cas stroked him through it, then let go as Dean started to wince a bit. Dean panted, eyes closed as Cas ran his hand over Dean's belly and thighs and arms and chest. Dean needed grounding after a session, and close contact always helped.

"Dude," Dean drawled, voice cracking.

Cas chuckled, making his way around the table and running his hands all over Dean. Just as he was about to grab a towel to clean Dean up, he caught sight of Dean's feet. Dean's right sock had been kicked off and the left one was halfway down his foot. Cas stared, eyes going wide as he focused on Dean's right ankle.

His head felt like it was going to spin right off his shoulders, and yet something deep inside him said yes, this was it. This was right. He'd never seen the symbol this way. It had always been mirrored. That didn't stop him from recognizing it.

The fine lines and they way they curved so elegantly. The feathery edges at the bottom. The fading off to the left. He knew every single twist and turn in it.

Cas shook himself out of it and picked the sock up off the floor, slipping it back on Dean's foot, then fixing the other sock. Dean sat up, quiet and very still once he was up, hands braced on the edges of the table. He didn't look at Cas, but Cas could see the tension in his shoulders.

Instead of pushing, Cas walked over to the cupboards on the far wall and took out a washcloth, then wet it at the sink before going back to Dean and wiping him down.

"Sorry, Cas," Dean whispered.

"Sorry about what?" Cas asked.

"Sorry I couldn't stay away," Dean said.

Cas used a finger to lift Dean's chin, and the pain in Dean's eyes made his chest ache. "What do you mean?"

Dean sighed. "I saw it. The mark on your lower back. I saw it back before we officially met. You were in that coffee shop down on third street and you dropped your lid, leaned over to pick it up, and I saw it on your lower back."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Cas asked.

Dean huffed out a laugh, rolling his eyes. "I'm not what you need or want. I'll never be enough for you. So I walked away."

"I'm going to ignore the first part for now in favor of finding out how we got here," Cas said. "You looked for me or just happened to sign up to for sessions here?"

"I tried to stay away. I really did," Dean said, shaking his head. "I just couldn't. So I kept going back to the coffee shop until I saw you again. You were on your way here, so I followed you. I asked the girl at the front desk who worked here, she told me and showed me the portfolios of everybody here. I saw your picture, so I booked my first appointment with you."

"You only had sessions here because of me?" Cas asked, something in his stomach twisting at the thought of Dean submitting to something he didn't really want to do.

"No, I mean yes," Dean said, then winced. "No, I hadn't been here before, but this definitely wasn't a hardship or something I've never done before. I've really enjoyed it, Cas. Really."

Cas nodded. "Okay," he said, the worry in his gut receding.

"I was just going to come for one session," Dean said, then chuckled, "but I couldn't stop myself. I kept coming back. I wanted to be around you. And you're really good at what you do, so that was fun. And I do like orgasms."

"Were you ever going to tell me?" Cas asked.

"I don't know," Dean said, shrugging. "A part of me wants to say yes, but it's been two years and I'm still wearing socks to every appointment."

Cas nodded. "Okay, now I want to address what I said I'd ignore."

"No, I don't want to do this," Dean said, swinging his legs over the edge of the table and standing up. Dean started to go down, but Cas was there, holding him up and lifting him back onto the table.

"You're not done," Cas said. "I'm not letting you leave yet because you're still in recovery."

"Yes, sir," Dean said, head dropping down, avoiding Cas' gaze.

"I know you're not open to hearing it right now, but you're still under my care because you're in recovery," Cas said. "So after you have some water and a hard candy, we're going to get you dressed and I'm going to take you home."

"Okay," Dean said, nodding.

"And on the way home we're going to discuss the fact that soulmates are soulmates for a reason," Cas said, "and that you and I are a little more similar than you've let yourself see."

Dean lifted his head and scowled at Cas. "Don't fuck with me. You might like it at first, me doing all the work and getting you off, but it wears on people after a while when they realize what being with me is really like. I like spending time with people, holding them, kissing. Just enjoying their company. But people always want more and a lot of times I'm not in the mood to fuck somebody, even if I know it'll make them feel good. And I don't really want to get fucked either."

"Well, that's good, because I identify as asexual," Cas said, smirking.

Dean frowned at him. "What the fuck does that mean?"

"It's a sexual orientation," Cas said. "A, as in the variant of an. As in not or without. Asexual. Not sexual."

"That's a thing?" Dean asked, nose scrunching up.

"That's a thing," Cas said, nodding. "It's one of the reasons I'm good at my job. My employers know there's no chance of me breaking the rules and having intercourse with my clients without a condom because I don't like sex in the first place. I enjoy making other people feel good, just like you, so a job where I can use my skills and completely control the situation is perfect. Although I'd like you to keep it to yourself that I've kissed you. It's kind of frowned upon here."

Dean huffed out a laugh. "You're breaking rules for me?"

"I have a feeling you're worth it," Cas said.

"So any past relationships you've had, they...?" Dean said, trailing off.

"I haven't found anyone who likes me _and_ is content with never having sex," Cas said. "I don't like engaging in sexual activities outside of BDSM. I don't even masturbate, which I know you do, but I really don't mind if my partner masturbates. Perhaps this means you're my match. Soulmate, if you will."

Dean winced. "You're not just saying this so I'll feel better?"

"Why don't you allow me to court you and find out?" Cas asked, shrugging. "We'll start by having a picnic at the park."

Dean blinked at him for a moment, then chuckled. "There's a part of me that thinks you're just pulling my leg, but I don't think I want to risk it, so yeah, let's do a picnic."

"Not now," Cas said. "We'll go tomorrow night after I'm done with my last appointment."

Dean frowned. "Why not now?"

Cas backed away, then dropped the washcloth in a bin before taking out a wipe and starting to clean the countertop.

"Yeah, yeah," Dean said as he slowly slid off the table, "you're the dom and I'm in recovery and I do as you say until your job is done."

"Good boy," Cas said as he set the paddle in a separate bin for cleaning.

"Hey, can I see it again?" Dean asked.

Cas turned around to find a blushing Dean. Cas nodded, then turned his back to Dean and lifted his shirt. Cas smiled as he felt Dean lowering his jeans a bit, then a finger traced the design on his lower back. Just before Dean pulled away, Cas felt a kiss placed on the mark.

"I'm not putting out on the first date," Dean said.

Cas smiled, his back still turned to Dean as he wiped down the massage table. "Good. I'm not either."

"Oh, and there will be _no_ cuddling," Dean said as he pulled his clothes on.

"Yes, you've certainly displayed your aversion to cuddling during our previous sessions when you recovered on the couch with me," Cas teased.

"That wasn't cuddling," Dean said. "That was me reassuring you I was fine after a session. It looked like you needed it."

"Thank you, Dean," Cas said, keeping his face turned away from Dean so Dean wouldn't see the smile.

end.


End file.
